Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Thunderspear Apr 11, 2015 19:31:41	"This spell sends creatures into a magical slumber. Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points o f creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 20 feet of a point you choose within range are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures). Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature affected by this spell falls unconscious until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Subtract each creature’s hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature’s hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected..."     There was a situation in a game where the bard was made aware of creatures above the ceiling of the room he was in (basically they were in the room above him) by virtue of them moving around and him hearing them. He figured he could cast sleep on a point on the ceiling where the most noise was coming from and put a few people to sleep in the room above him. The DM ruled that that wouldn't work because he had no line of sight or effect to the creatures in the room above him.   Now, despite that being wrong for the reason that he never said about targeting any creatures, just targeting a point that he can see, I got curious. Does sleep work on creatures through walls/ceilings/floors? I figure it's a spherical emanation from the point, but does it penetrate walls/obstacles?   Thanks for any help.
#2 AaronOfBarbaria Apr 11, 2015 19:55:22	Player's Handbook, page 204, sub-heading "A Clear Path to the Target". Also found on page 80 of the basic rules PDF: "To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover."   Unless there were big enough holes in the ceiling/floor to fire arrows through, a spell's effect wont pass through either.
(Reply to #2) transcendantviewer	AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#4 AaronOfBarbaria Apr 11, 2015 22:21:24	I havr quoted the relevant rules, it is your prerogative to decide that they don't apply... the sleep spell follows those rules because they are the general rules and It doesn't specify that it is an exception. Checking to see if sleep's area of effect can affect a creature is no different than checking to see if fireball can affect a creature.
#5 EmpactWB Apr 11, 2015 22:29:21	More specifically, also from page 204 of the Player's Handbook under Areas of Affect: "A spell's effect extends in straight lines from the point of origin. If no unblocked straight line extends from the point of origin to a location within the area of effect, that location isn't included in the spell's area."   So the DM was absolutely correct in the ruling.
(Reply to #5) transcendantviewer	EmpactWB wrote:
(Reply to #5) Thunderspear	EmpactWB wrote:
#8 mellored Apr 13, 2015 10:26:17	A few spells, like insect plauge, specificly go around corners.